The present invention is directed to a microgravity dispenser system including a carbonator, metering device, and cup filler for dispensing a still or carbonated beverage in the microgravity conditions of outer space.
It is known that under zero or microgravity conditions of outer space, that beverages cannot be dispensed from a conventional post-mix beverage dispenser into an ordinary vessel or package, and that beverages cannot be poured from a vessel directly into a consumer's mouth. They must be forced out of a supply container into smaller vessels and packages, under pressure, as well as being similarly forced directly into the mouth of the consumer or astronaut. For still beverages and water, the container filling method can be one of suction. Likewise, the astronaut can suck the liquid from a collapsible container through a straw.
Furthermore, the container utilized for dispensing a beverage must be of a collapsible volume type in order to preclude the creation of an air space or pocket within the container, the location of which cannot be controlled due to the substantially zero gravity conditions.
A method and system for filling packages of carbonated beverage pre-mix is described in copending application Ser. No. 777,316, filed on Sept. 18, 1985 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,734, and was developed for filling pre-mix packages in outer space which is easily operated by an astronaut.
The system and method described in that copending application can be performed and utilized on Earth before the system is launched into space. However, the system thereof was designed to fill a need wherein empty permanently counter pressured packages could be refilled with pre-mix from a master supply tank in outer space which was easily operable by the crew of astronauts. The system and method of that copending application requires the pre-mix to be maintained in solution with the CO.sub.2 gas, and utilized a dip tube connected to the package to dispense the beverage from a larger supply container into a consumer-size pre-mix package. The system of Ser. No. 777,316 works quite well, However, it would be desirable to provide a sophisticated post-mix beverage type dispenser for use in the microgravity conditions of outer space for filling containers only counter pressured during filling and normally vented to the atmosphere.
Another copending application Ser. No. 049,521 filed on May 14, 1987, entitled "Microgravity Carbonator System" to Rudick et al relates to a carbonator system for use either on Earth or in the microgravity conditions of outer space. The carbonator system of that copending application is incorporated herein by reference. The "Microgravity Carbonator System" does not require a distinct liquid-gas phase separation in order to operate and includes a meter assembly which supplies carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) gas and water under pressure to a pair of carbonation holding tanks. The carbonation holding tanks retain the water and CO.sub.2 gas under a sufficient pressure for a sufficient time in order to permit the creation of carbonated water. The holding tanks are alternately filled by the meter assembly and are alternately discharged to a dispensing means.
An even further type of microgravity carbonator is described in another copending application Ser. No. 049,561 filed on May 14, 1987, and issued on Sept. 14, 1988 entitled "Microgravity Carbonator" to Rudick et al. This application is also incorporated herein by reference. This application discloses a carbonator system for mixing carbon dioxide and water based on the principle, that if a specific mass of carbon dioxide is forced into a specific amount of water, the water will be carbonated to a specific level. A control system and an agitator are provided to aid in mixing the water and carbon dioxide to form this carbonated water.
The above described types of carbonators and filling systems have not heretofore been combined into one comprehensive, simple-to-operate microgravity post-mix dispenser system for use in the microgravity conditions of outer space.